Best Shaving Brush: the 3 Top Brushes (and why they’re the best)

This entry was posted on January 24, 2018 by The English Shaving Company.

A shaving brush is essential for an effective shave, particularly if you’re looking to get a close and smooth look. We’ve selected some of the top brushes across three different categories to help you find the best shaving brush for your needs.

What does a shaving brush do?

A shaving brush, particularly one of the highest quality, contributes massively to the effectiveness of your shave. There are a lot of benefits to using a shaving brush:

Creates a rich lather

A shaving brush is the best tool to create a lather with your soap or cream. If you’re using a bar of shaving soap you’ll need a brush in order to create a lather that moisturises, protects, and lubricates your face.

Prepares your facial hair

A shaving brush lifts the hairs on your face away from your skin, which allows them to be caught by your razor much more effectively. This creates a much smoother and closer shave than without a brush.

Is a shaving brush really better than your hands?

Yes -- is the short answer. A shaving brush produces a rich and creamy lather that is impossible to replicate with your fingers. The construction of the brush, with hundreds, if not thousands of individual hairs, allows the brush to hold plenty of water and agitate the soap or cream at many different points, creating a wonderfully thick and luxurious lather. It also prepares your face for shaving by lifting the hairs away from your skin -- something your hands couldn’t achieve by themselves. This all helps contribute to a significantly superior shave.

The Best Shaving Brushes

There are loads of varieties of shaving brushes available across the market. These include badger, boar, horse and synthetic hair, in many different colours, handles, and sizes. At The English Shaving Company, we only stock badger hair or synthetic fill brushes, as we believe these to be the best and most effective. We’ve put together this small guide to help you find the best shaving brush that will give your shave the edge.

Best Badger Hair Brush

In our experience, badger hair is the best fill type for a shaving brush. Badger hair readily absorbs hot water when you’re shaving. This means that as you use it, it creates a truly rich and luxurious lather, while also warming your skin. Having warm skin helps more of the hair to be caught by the razor blade, producing a smoother shave.

Edwin Jagger Pure Badger Shaving Brush

This shaving brush from Edwin Jagger is one of the best shaving brushes on the market. It’s made with Silver Tip Badger hair from the softest part of the animal. This brush is weighty but well balanced, so it feels wonderful to use. The textured handle also provides better grip. Pairing this with a quality shaving soap or cream creates a lather that can’t be beaten. You can even get a double edge safety razor to match.

Best Synthetic Shaving Brush

While badger hair might offer a slightly superior experience, if you’re looking for the best synthetic brush there are plenty of options that are made to closely mimic the effects of badger hair. These are suitable for vegetarians and vegans, or for those who would prefer to avoid using animal products while shaving. They also have the tendency to dry quicker than badger hair brushes. Synthetic brushes are also able to create a rich lather from your soap or cream, helping to prepare your skin for shaving.

Edwin Jagger Synthetic Badger Hair Shaving Brush

Edwin Jagger also make some of the best quality synthetic shaving brushes on the market. This synthetic hair shaving brush is designed in the same style as the aforementioned badger hair brush, so you needn’t lose out on any of the aesthetics when opting for a synthetic brush. Synthetic brushes are as close to the quality of badger hair as possible while being appropriate for vegans. It has a better backbone than many rival synthetic brushes and boasts a very full brush fill. With proper care, these brushes can even outlast many badger hair brushes and offer a comparable shave.

Best Shaving Brush for Travelling

Badger Hair Travel Brush

When you’re travelling, you need a lighter and more compact brush than you might choose to use at home. This brush offers an ideal balance between quality and portability. It comes with a travel tube and the hairs are the sweet spot between soft and firm, allowing them to exfoliate your skin without causing irritation.

What qualities do you find most important in your best shaving brush? We would love to hear your thoughts and opinions in the comments! Make sure you browse through our collection of high quality shaving brushes to find the best one for you.

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